At HailClaw's command, Pacree Sky launched into battle. Eclipse heard lots of paws thudding onto the earth as her Pacree raced toward the attackers.

Eclipse flinched as Drolgons screeched and howled, and there were the sounds of ripping flesh and fur. There was a yowl of agony. Was that StarFlower?

There was a growl of hatred, and scuffling. Was Reed being flung to the ground?

There was a huge crash that made Eclipse jump. Did one of her Pacree-mates get badly hurt?

Apparently one did, because a second later, Breezy hurried over carrying Wind by the scruff, with StarFlower at her paws. Eclipse froze.

Wind was unconscious, and her wings were battered and bleeding. Worse, she looked so broken, Eclipse didn't know how SpringShine could save her.

"Oh my," SpringShine whimpered quietly. Then she quickly started pulling different herbs out of her pouches "Cobweb to stop bleeding, goldenrod for broken bones, dandelion leaves to ease pain..." SpringShine muttered to herself as she gathered the herbs.

Wind partially opened her eyes, and gave a pitiful moan.

"Oh, my Drolgonet..." Breezy whimpered. "You'll make it! You have to!"

"Juniper berries to keep calm," SpringShine muttered a little more urgently.

As SpringShine chewed up the herbs into poultices and got Wind to eat a few leaves, Eclipse crept up to her mother, who was standing on top of the rock.

"Has Storm's patrol joined the battle yet?" Eclipse asked quietly, sitting at StarFlower's side.

"I'm afraid not," StarFlower whispered in reply. "But we're going to need them soon."

Eclipse looked down at the battle for the first time. There were so many Drolgons. Eclipse wondered how they remembered who was an enemy and who was a Pacree-mate.

There were pools of blood everywhere, and the rain mixed in with the pools. Eclipse peered into the mass of flying claws and teeth.

There, in the middle of three Earth Drolgons, was Reed. He was snarling fiercely and lashing his tail, his hackle-spikes lifted in warning. The Earth Drolgons lunged for him, but Reed shot straight up into the air. The Earth Drolgons didn't follow; they just stood there staring up at him.

That's right, Eclipse thought. Pacree Earth Drolgons don't fly.

They had wings, but Pacree Earth used their wings for other things, like if two of their legs didn't work, they would use their wings. And they would use their wings to help dig their homes out of the dirt, as well. Pacree Stream used their wings for swimming, and making huge waves along with their tail.

Reed had a smug look on his face. Then he tucked in his wings, rolled, and barrel dove toward the now-confused Earth Drolgons.

Eclipse watched in wonder as Reed slammed into the Drolgons, claws out. She wondered how he was so brave.

But then her eyes flicked to HailClaw. He was standing on a large stump, surrounded by five Earth Drolgons. He was hissing, growling, and snapping all around him, his hackle-spikes pricked straight up with fear. The Earth Drolgons crouched, and all leapt at HailClaw. Suddenly, HailClaw was covered in a writhing mass of fur, claws, and teeth. Looking around, Eclipse saw that the rest of the Pacree was busy with their own battles, and didn't notice that their Alpha was being mauled.

Eclipse gathered all her courage, and leapt off the rock where she stood. She flew over to where HailClaw was, gliding over the heads of her enemies and Pacree-mates.

At last, she was above HailClaw. She tucked in her wings like she'd seen Reed do, and she dove into the mass of Drolgons. Screeching, she clawed and kicked and bit whatever she could to get to HailClaw. At last, some familiar but bloodied grayish-white fur was visible.

"Alpha!" Eclipse choked through fur, fighting the Drolgons in her way.

Clearing a path for HailClaw, she told him to fly.

Seeing his chance to escape, HailClaw shot up into the sky. Eclipse watched triumphantly as she freed her Alpha. Then she wriggled, and tried to get out of the fighting Drolgons, but she was stuck.

"Hey, look," a Drolgon scoffed, turning toward Eclipse. "Pacree Sky brought a Drolgonet into the battle!"

I'm not that small! Eclipse thought furiously. I'm a year and five and a half months old! Although, technically, I am a Drolgonet...

A big, muscular Earth Drolgon came toward Eclipse, growling, with a smirk on her face. Eclipse shuddered, and crouched with her belly-fur touching the ground as the Earth Drolgon advanced on her. Eclipse shuffled as far away from the Drolgon as she could, and started caterwauling like a trapped cat. The Drolgon lifted her huge paw to the sky, unsheathing her claws. Eclipse dug her claws into the ground, lifting her wings around herself for protection. Eclipse bunched up her muscles, ready to spring at the Earth Drolgon's exposed belly.

Suddenly, a howl exploded from behind Eclipse's attacker, and the Earth Drolgon was yanked to the ground. Eclipse watched in amazement as her mother hauled the Earth Drolgon by her scruff off the rock. StarFlower lunged, and bit the Drolgon's belly.

At last, HailClaw's signal for the backup patrol sounded. The patrol thundered into the battle, startling Pacree Earth.

"FierceTalon!" An Earth Drolgon cried, seeing the blood flowing out of his Pacree-mate's wound. He let go of Eclipse, who he had pinned when FierceTalon was attacked, and Eclipse shot upwards. The Drolgon raced over to FierceTalon, but a Sky Drolgon rammed into him before he could get to FierceTalon.

FierceTalon struggled to her paws, despite the blood loss and driving rain, and faced StarFlower, growling. StarFlower snarled back, arching her back and lifting her wings and hackle-spikes threateningly.

     "You do not mess with my Drolgonets!" She roared.

FeatherCloud leaped into the rain, and hovered next to Eclipse, the sisters waiting for their chance to help their mother. FierceTalon launched herself at StarFlower, and pinned her to the ground. StarFlower flapped her wings, hitting FierceTalon hard in the ribs. FierceTalon yowled, and hopped off of StarFlower.
StarFlower leapt onto FierceTalon's back, sunk in her claws, and bit the back of FierceTalon's neck, refusing to lose her grip. Eclipse dove in to help StarFlower, but she was knocked to the ground by one of FierceTalon's wings.   
     FeatherCloud flew to the ground, protecting her sister as Eclipse got a hold of herself. FierceTalon rolled over, squishing StarFlower to the ground. Then she quickly got to her paws, and lunged at StarFlower's neck for the killing bite.
StarFlower did all she could to get away, screeching and howling and fighting.
     Eclipse rammed into FierceTalon's side as the huge Drolgon sunk her teeth into StarFlower's neck. Eclipse shredded fur and skin and howled savagely in a frenzy of teeth and claws. FierceTalon didn't let go of StarFlower's neck. StarFlower went limp as FierceTalon shook her. FeatherCloud joined in the clawing and biting. FierceTalon shook herself, dislodging Eclipse and FeatherCloud.
Eclipse watched in horror as FierceTalon slammed StarFlower's body to the ground, and blood pooled around StarFlower, soaking her beautiful thick, dark blue-gray and silver-white fur.